1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for lining surfaces using a plurality of interlocking grid-like modules for interlocking with adjacent similar or dissimilar modules. The system may be used for lining all types of surfaces, including those where one surface, such as a wall or an incline, joins another surface. In one particularily advantageous embodiment of my invention, my system can be used to line the cargo bed of a pickup truck.
2. Description of Prior Art
The present invention utilizes grid-like modules similar to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,802,104 and 3,868,798, of which I am the inventor. The specifications of said U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,802,104 and 3,868,798 are specifically incorporated herein by reference. However, such modules, and the interlocking system used with such modules, were only capable of lining substantially flat surfaces. There was no way of providing a continous lining over a discontinuous surface, or where a flat surface, for example, adjoined an inclined or right-angled surface. While the modules could lay on an inclined surface adjacent a flat surface if the incline was not too steep, as a practical matter, if the surfaces received any use, the two lined surfaces, that is, the flat surface and the inclined surface, could separate from each other, presenting a hazardous condition.
Further, it was simply impossible to line a wall area adjacent to a floor, for example, where such lining would be desirable to prevent damage to a wall, since until the present invention, my modules could not easily be attached to a wall.
Further, when it became apparent to me that my modules would be very advantageous for lining cargo beds of various vehicles such as vans, trucks, and the like, there was no way of attaching such modules to these surfaces without causing permanent damage to the vehicle or craft in which it was mounted. After much experimentation, it was determined that by providing additional hinge members of various types, and by providing a connector which did not have to penetrate the surface to which it was attaching a module, my modules could be formed into a system which could line inclined and right-angled surfaces, as well as being used in a portable fashion, such as by lining the cargo areas of vans, pickup trucks, and the like.